


Adoption

by whiteshores



Series: Precious Moments [5]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Domestic, Drabble, Fluff, M/M, kid!chan, parent!jeongcheol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:28:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23930812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiteshores/pseuds/whiteshores
Summary: Chan wants a puppy.
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan
Series: Precious Moments [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1506068
Comments: 3
Kudos: 111





	Adoption

**Author's Note:**

> Seungcheol posted about his puppy and I took that as a sign to follow through on [this tweet](https://twitter.com/kirinhannie/status/1177803100662288385?s=21) from 7 months ago.

“Daddy, can we get a dog?”

“Mmm I don’t know baby. We need to talk to Papa about it.”

“Papa, can we get a dog?”

“Let me talk to Daddy about it.”

“But that’s what Daddy just said!” 

Chan, their precious _precious_ son, wants a dog. He’s never wanted a dog before. In fact, he’s never shown an interest in them. But now his fascination with dogs might be more intense than his love for dinosaurs. His drawings always include dogs now. And okay, to be fair, the dinosaurs are still there. There’s drawings of dinosaurs walking a dog, sleeping next to a dog, petting a dog, eating breakfast with a dog. (Jeonghan makes a mental note that at some point he needs to teach Chan that dogs don’t eat human food.)

It all started when they ran into Uncle Mingyu at a park. They’ve been to this park many times before. There’s a decently sized playground with enough equipment to keep Chan entertained for hours. Around the perimeter of the park is a path that many people use to take a leisurely stroll or jog. Occasionally, the family would see dogs with their owners along this path. Most have been medium or large dogs, ones that you would typically take for a nice run. As a small child, Chan may have been intimidated by their size. Jeonghan doesn’t blame him. He’s sure that a good number of them could knock him down if they jumped on him in excitement. 

Chan, the ever observant five year old, spotted the tall man from quite a distance away and instantly stood up from the sandbox, scattering the small particles all over Jeonghan’s clothes. 

“Handsome Uncle!” 

It earned a few confused looks, but Mingyu recognized that voice. He jogged over to them and Chan ran over, not hearing Jeonghan’s reminder to slow down and be careful.

“Hey Channie, how are you?” Mingyu asked, ruffling Chan’s hair. The little boy giggled and reached up to fix his hair, only making it messier in the process.

“I’m playing on the playground with Papa!”

“Oh? That sounds like fun.” 

“Chan!” Jeonghan called out, panting as he finally caught up to his son. He crouched down and turned Chan around so he could look his son in the eye. “You can’t go running off like that, even if it’s someone you know. Wait for Papa, okay?” He scolded gently. 

“Yes, Papa…” Chan pouted, shoulders drooping. 

Jeonghan smiled and pressed a soft kiss to Chan’s forehead. 

“Thank you, Channie. Papa just wants you to be safe, okay?”

A tiny nod and Jeonghan kissed the top of his son’s head again. He looked up and glanced at the stroller Mingyu had with him.

“Gyu… what is that?”

“This?” Mingyu asked, tapping the top of the stroller. “It’s a stroller!”

“I can see that…” Jeonghan said slowly. “But you don’t have any kids. At least, not that I know of.” He squints and eyes the tall man suspiciously. “Have you adopted someone without telling Cheol and I?”

“Uh, maybe?”

Jeonghan’s jaw dropped. He meant it as a joke; he didn’t think that Mingyu adopted a _child_ without any of them knowing. 

“You what?!”

“Her name is Bobpul!” Mingyu said, unzipping the top of the stroller.

Bobpul? Interesting name for a child, but Jeonghan was never one to judge. And was he unzipping the stroller? Strollers don’t normally zip like that. Unless—

“Puppy!” Chan exclaimed, pointing at the white fluffy head that poked out. 

Then, all the pieces clicked together. 

“Ah, you adopted a _puppy_.” 

“That’s right!” Mingyu grinned. “I wanted to take her on my runs, but she couldn’t keep up. Luckily, there’s these jogging strollers, just like there are for kids, but for your pets!”

Jeonghan had no idea they made _jogging_ strollers for dogs. He was going to comment on it when he noticed how quiet Chan was. Directing his attention back to his son, he was surprised to see the little boy carefully petting the dog. With the exception of a few soft giggles and cooing, the five year old was surprisingly quiet. Jeonghan isn’t sure he’s seen Chan this calm with the exception of when he’s sleeping or extremely concentrated on a dance video.

“Channie?” Jeonghan asked softly, fixing Chan’s messy hair and making a mental note to give his son a bath as soon as they get home. “Do you like Uncle Mingyu’s puppy?”

“Mhmm!” Chan nodded. “I like Bobpul a lot!” 

“She’s cute isn’t she?” Jeonghan smiled and reached out to scratch the top of the puppy’s head. 

“Papa… can we get one too?”

“Hmmm?”

“A puppy! I want one too.”

“Ah… maybe. It’s a huge responsibility Channie. Taking care of a dog isn’t easy.”

“I’m reponble! I’m a big boy!”

The blond laughed.

“Responsible, Channie. Re-spon-si-ble. You are a big boy, but I need to talk about it with Daddy okay?”

“Okay. Then we’ll get a puppy?”

“We’ll see.”

* * *

Ever since then Chan asked his parents every day if they could get a dog. The little boy was persistent. 

_“Definitely a trait he learned from you,” Seungcheol said. Jeonghan didn’t know whether he should be proud or offended. (He scoffed and pouted until his husband peppered a dozen kisses all over his face.)_

Chan’s insistence increased when he learned that one of his friends from school had a dog as well.

_“Kwannie has a dog! It’s small and white just like Handsome Uncle’s! Daddy, can we get one too? Ple—ase?”_

Jeonghan didn’t know what to do. Although Chan is a ~~perfect~~ wonderful child, the couple already have their hands full and he’s not sure if they can handle being responsible for the life of another small being.

The blond isn’t too particular about dogs. He likes them, but if asked if he’s a dog or a cat person, he would say he doesn’t have a preference. His husband on the other hand is a different story.

Seungcheol may as well be a humanized, overgrown puppy with how enthusiastic, playful, and loyal he is. Sometimes Jeonghan teases him, saying he doesn’t need a dog when he has his lovable Saint Bernard husband. At this Seungcheol would pout and Jeonghan would pet his head until the raven-haired man couldn’t help but smile. Jeonghan can practically see his tail wagging if he had one. 

But the man _loves_ dogs. He always gets excited whenever he sees one. There’s been many times where he has stopped to talk to someone walking their dog and asked to pet it. It’s surprising how Chan has managed to last this long without an interest in dogs, considering how much he looks up to his father.

Jeonghan knows Seungcheol would love a dog just as much, if not, more, than Chan would. The blond would also spoil their furry family member with love if they had one. He’s just not sure if they’re ready to have one. 

He hates being the one to crush his husband and son’s dream and knows that he needs to have a serious conversation with Seungcheol at one point. Jeonghan just isn’t sure how to bring up the topic. 

* * *

One night, after they read a bedtime story to Chan, tucked him into bed, and kissed him goodnight, Jeonghan laid in bed. His eyes are closed, but he’s not sleeping. Sometimes he enjoys this, simply resting, with his husband’s comforting presence beside him. Last time he took a peek, Seungcheol was scrolling through social media on his phone. 

Seungcheol knows that the blond isn’t asleep. The lamp on the bedside table by Seungcheol’s side is still on and the blond can’t sleep unless it’s dark. Usually, the lamp would stay on until the raven-haired man felt tired or until Jeonghan whined about wanting to sleep. 

But tonight Jeonghan is restless. Chan’s burning question is still heavy on his mind and he wants to know what Seungcheol thinks. He tries collecting his thoughts, organizing them in a way that makes sense, but he can’t. It’s a jumbled mess of mixed feelings and a troubled heart.

Finally, when he can’t take it anymore, he addresses the elephant in the room.

“Do you think we should get a dog?” He asks quietly. 

Jeonghan’s eyes are still closed, but he knows Seungcheol has stopped scrolling. There’s a long pause, long enough for Jeonghan to take a peek and find his husband looking at him thoughtfully. 

When Seungcheol doesn’t reply, Jeonghan repeats his question. 

“Well, what do you think, Hannie?” 

“Me?”

A nod.

“Well… I’m a bit worried.” He looks away and starts playing with his fingers. As he talks, Seungcheol shifts to lie on his side, head propped up on his palm. His other hand moves to Jeonghan, allowing the blond to absentmindedly play with his husband’s hand instead. It’s comforting; knowing that Seungcheol recognizes his nervous habits and instantly steps in to help in a very Seungcheol-esque manner. 

“I don’t know if we’re ready to have a dog… I-I really don’t want to let Channie down… or you. I know you’ve been wanting a dog for the longest time as well.” 

“What makes you think we aren’t ready?” Seungcheol asks gently. There’s no ill intent in his question. Just honest curiosity that’s trying to piece together Jeonghan’s thoughts.

“It’s already a lot of work taking care of Channie. I mean, he _is_ the best child on the planet—” Seungcheol chuckles quietly. “But it’s still a lot to raise a kid. We’re both working and whenever we’re both home we try to dedicate as much time and energy as we can into Channie. If we got a puppy, that would make it even harder. We would need to train it, take care of it, give it the love it needs, while still trying to work, take care of Chan, and somehow survive the chaos of a puppy and a toddler.”

Seungcheol nods and hums thoughtfully. 

“Well, I think Channie has grown past the toddler stage now. As he loves to remind us, he is a big boy now.” 

“No, he’s still my baby,” Jeonghan retorts. “He’ll always be my baby.” 

Seungcheol smiles and leans forward to give Jeonghan a peck on the cheek. 

“Yes, he’ll always be our baby. No matter how big he gets.” 

Jeonghan nods and turns, wanting more of his husband’s affection. He cuddles close to Seungcheol and relishes in the warmth and security that comes from resting in his husband’s embrace. 

They lay there for a few moments, Seungcheol absentmindedly stroking Jeonghan’s hair until he decides to break the silence.

“Are you worried that if we get a dog, we won’t have enough time for Channie?” Seungcheol asks quietly. 

Jeonghan tenses slightly. Leave it to Seungcheol to get to the root of the problem, a concern that Jeonghan himself was not even aware of.

“If you’re really worried about it, we don’t _have_ to get a dog,” Seungcheol says when Jeonghan doesn’t respond. “Channie might be sad for a bit, but he’ll be okay. It’s not like we haven’t said no to him before. Remember when he wanted to see Soonyoung’s dance classes in Japan last month? He begged and begged and was devastated when he wasn’t able to go. But Soonyoung made sure to record the whole week's lessons and Chan was fine afterward. He’s going to experience a few disappointments, but he will be fine, Hannie. You’re not a bad dad for putting his best interest in mind.” 

“But what about you?” Jeonghan asks, tilting his head up and looking his husband in the eye.

“Me?” 

“Don’t you want a dog too?”

Seungcheol gives him a small smile and it makes Jeonghan’s heart hurt a bit.

“I do, but I don’t want to get one if you don’t think we’re ready for one. I’m happy as long as you and Channie are happy. That’s all that matters.” 

Jeonghan feels his eyes water as he’s once again reminded that he married the most perfect, selfless, loving man on the planet. 

Seungcheol notices and wipes a stray tear with the pad of his thumb. 

“No matter what, I’ll support you in your decision. We’re in this together, Hannie. Always have and always will be.” 

As he leans in to press a chaste kiss against Jeonghan’s lips, the blond realizes what he needs to do. 

* * *

“Okay, Channie. Remember what the nice lady said. We need to be gentle because they’re still young.” 

“Yes, Papa!” 

“And you can only pick one.”

“Mhmm!”

“And if there’s none that you like, that’s okay. We can always—”

“ _Papa_ ,” Chan whines. 

“I think he’s ready, Hannie,” Seungcheol says gently. 

Jeonghan takes a deep breath and nods. 

Seungcheol smiles and nods to the worker who opens the door, revealing a room full of small puppies. Chan sticks close to his parents for a few moments, eyes wide and fascinated as he sees the mass of furballs. He giggles as many of them run up and try licking his hands and face. 

Then, Chan leaves his fathers’ sides and rushes over to the far corner of the room.

“Channie?” Jeonghan calls out worriedly, looking up from the puppy he was petting. 

As he and Seungcheol approach their son they find him sitting on the floor, a small white puppy in his lap. Chan is petting it with a gentleness and care uncharacteristic of an enthusiastic five year old. 

“Do you like this one, Channie?” Seungcheol asks, sitting down next to his son. 

“Mhmm. She was in the corner by herself; she looked lonely,” Chan pouts. He pets the puppy again and looks up at Seungcheol. “She’s really sweet though! She’s a nice puppy.” 

Jeonghan smiles and sits down on the other side of Chan.

“She does seem very sweet. If you like her we can take her home. Then, she won’t have to be lonely anymore,” the blond says, reaching over to pet the dog as well.

“Can we?” Chan turns to look at Jeonghan, eyes lighting up with anticipation.

“Of course Channie. That’s why we came here today! To give a puppy a new home and a family.” 

Chan nods eagerly. 

“I want to give her a home!” 

Seungcheol and Jeonghan both smile at that. They had talked to Mingyu about the process of adopting dogs from shelters and tried explaining it in a way their son could understand. Adopting a dog in need of a home seemed like the best way to gain a new addition to their family. 

“Then, let’s give her a new home,” Seungcheol says. “But we need to give her a name. What do you want to name her?”

“Hmmm…” Chan does that cute thing where his face scrunches as he concentrates, contemplating on the _best_ name for his puppy. 

“Goguma.”

“Goguma?” Seungcheol asks, smile growing a little wider.

“Goguma,” Chan repeats with conviction. “She’s small and white like a little potato. And she’s nice.” 

Jeonghan hides his laugh with a kiss to the top of Chan’s head.

“That’s perfect Channie.” He turns to look at the puppy still laying contently in his son’s lap. “Welcome to the family Goguma.” 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Adopt, don’t shop ♡
> 
> Thank you to [seasoned_carrot](https://twitter.com/seasoned_carrot) for sending me [this info](https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/dog-breeds/saint-bernard)! Cheol is most definitely a Saint Bernard. 
> 
> As always, thank you to [bonnieanonnie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonnieanonnie/pseuds/bonnieanonnie) for beta reading !


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